The following background discussion is not an admission that anything discussed below is citable as prior art or common general knowledge. The documents listed below are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference to them.
There are a wide variety of wagering games that may be played in a wide variety of formats. Formats include the casino environment where games may be played at gaming tables or on gaming machines. Formats outside of the casino environment include online gaming, over the counter games (such as “scratch-and-win” games) and recreational games played at home or private gatherings.
Casinos desire wagering games that are accessible to a broad selection of players in order to encourage as many people as possible to participate in the game at the casino. The games preferably should be easy to understand and fun to play in a group environment. The games preferably are also quick to play while providing multiple wagering opportunities in order to provide players with a sense of participation and control over the player's wins or losses. Casinos also of course require that the games provide an optimum return for the casino and meet local regulatory requirements.
Wagering games that are based on a set of playing cards can often be intimidating for new players. Games such as poker and blackjack for example require, or at least are perceived to require, an intimate knowledge of the rules and the associated odds of winning. Part of the intimidation of such games is that players feel the need to track the permutations and combinations associated with different hands of face cards and/or numbered cards.
There is an ongoing desire for a wagering game that is accessible to a broad range of players in a format that suits the casino environment. It is further desirable that such a wagering game may adapted for other formats that further open the accessibility of the game to a broad range of players.